Astronomy Picture of the Day——长城上空的象限仪流星雨

Quadrantids over the Great Wall 
Image Credit & Copyright: Cheng Luo

Explanation: Named for a forgotten constellation, the Quadrantid Meteor Shower is an annual event for planet Earth's northern hemisphere skygazers The shower's radiant on the sky lies within the old, astronomically obsolete constellation Quadrans Muralis. That location is not far from the Big Dipper, at the boundaries of the modern constellations Bootes and Draco. With the radiant out of the frame at the upper right, Quadrantid meteors streak through this night skyscape composed of digital frames recorded in the hours around the shower's peak on January 4, 2013. The last quarter moon illuminates rugged terrain and a section of the Great Wall in Hebei Province, China. A likely source of the dust stream that produces Quadrantid meteors was identified in 2003 as an asteroid. As usual, in 2020 the shower is expected to peak briefly on the night of January 3/4. Meteor fans in North America can anticipate a good show to celebrate the new year in moonless skies before tomorrow's dawn.

长城上空的象限仪流星雨 

对北半球的天文爱好者来说，每年的象限仪流星雨是一个重要天象。该流星雨的辐射点位于已经被废弃的象限仪座内，即现在的牧夫座与天龙座交界处，距离北斗七星不远。这幅照片由多幅照片组合而成，拍摄于2013年1月4日象限仪座流星雨极大期。图中，下弦月的月光照亮了蜿蜒的 长城。2003年天文学家确认，形成象限仪流星雨的流星体极有可能源自小行星。

高清原图地址：

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2001/QuadrantidsChineseGreatWall.jpg

近期文章：

Astronomy Picture of the Day——IC 405：火焰恒星星云

Astronomy Picture of the Day——激荡翻腾的木星云层

Astronomy Picture of the Day——哈勃展示的木星新肖像

NASA

微店